At least 400 families fled their homes in al-Baghdadi district to Ayn al-Asad Iraqi army air base after security conditions deteriorated, a government official said Tuesday.
“Four hundred families, the majority of whom are women and children, fled their homes in the district because of Daesh’s shelling on the residential area,” Najm Abdullah al-Ebeidi, a member of al-Baghdadi district council, told The Anadolu Agency. “(The attacks) left a number of people dead and wounded.”
Families were forced to evacuate because of the absence of humanitarian aid, food supplies and drinking water for nearly a week after Daesh (the Arabic acronym for ISIL) targeted water pumps, al-Ebeidi added.
The displaced families moved to the military base, where another 300 families had taken refuge after fleeing the terror from nearby areas.
The overflow of refugees forced families to share temporary housing, with many tents accommodating up to four families each.
Al-Baghdadi district holds a strategic position in Anbar province as it is located near Ayn al-Asad army air base, which includes US military experts who provide consultancy to Iraqi security forces.
Clashes between Iraqi forces and Daesh have been ongoing since June 2014 when the armed group seized Mosul and other territories in Iraq.
This prompted the US to form an international coalition, which has launched numerous airstrikes against Daesh targets in both Iraq and Syria.
